Storage tanks or vessels have apertures that are used for various purposes. Typically, one of these apertures is used for permanently installing a pump. Other vessel apertures are used for filling, installing a level-monitoring device and for installing a sight-gauge or other devices.
A level-monitoring device installed in a vessel aperture makes it easy to quickly monitor the level of liquid or solid in a vessel. Simplifying the level-monitoring leads to more frequent monitoring of the vessel and therefore lowers the chances of unexpectedly finding empty vessels. For example, if the vessel is a diesel fuel storage tank on a farm, and the tank unexpectedly becomes empty, this will cause downtime on the farm equipment. This may also cause downtime for equipment operators while they wait for more fuel to be delivered.
Many older vessels have only two apertures. One of these apertures usually has a permanently installed pump
If the owner wants to prevent unexpected empty tanks, he may install a level-monitoring device in this available aperture. However, every time the vessel needs to be filled, the monitor device must be removed, the tank filled and then the monitor device reinstalled. This is time consuming, may damage the level-monitoring device and may lead to the device being lost or not being reinstalled.
One proposed solution is to install more apertures into a vessel, however this requires many steps. First, the vessel must be completely empty, moreover, if it is a fuel tank, it needs to be filled with water to prevent a flash fire while drilling. Next, a vertical opening must be drilled into the vessel, and then a threaded collar must be permanently vertically installed into the aperture. Finally, all of the water and debris must be cleaned from the tank. This process is expensive, time consuming and may be dangerous if performed improperly.
Another drawback associated with vessel apertures is backflow, which is the fluid that spills out of the vessel during the vessel filling process. Backflow is generated by air venting up into the fluid coming down the fill nozzle. Backflow wastes fuel, is bad for the environment and slows down the filling process.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an adapter which allows simultaneous filling and level-monitoring through a single vessel aperture. There is also a need for an adapter that can fill a vessel with minimal fluid backflow.